Building the Future of Transportation: Impacts Report 2023

Performance Measures: Strengthen Research Expertise and Knowledge Development

CTS annually gathers performance measures data to quantify our impacts in effecting changes that improve transportation. Below, key measures from FY23 showcase our work related to one of CTS's three Areas of Excellence: Strengthen Research Expertise and Knowledge Development.

Research Funding

University researchers successfully secured funding from both federal and local sources in FY23. Research funding levels fluctuate depending upon the completion of major one-time projects and with expected variations in consistent funding sources such as MnDOT and LRRB. The large decrease from FY19 to FY20, for example, can be attributed to the completion of a large research implementation project and decreased research project funding from MnDOT, partially due to competition from other universities.

The slight downward trend began to rebound in FY23. CTS anticipates significant funding growth in the coming years with the implementation of new programs.

FY23 Analysis

The University’s transportation research enterprise remains strong. In FY23, we surpassed our funding target and nearly met our stretch funding target. A significant number of faculty and research scholars, representing diverse backgrounds and interests, are actively engaged in research with CTS. And we continue to secure funding from a variety of local, national, and international sources. This year we had projects funded by 40 different entities, well surpassing our anticipated target of 26.

FY24 Outlook

Funding for research in FY24 looks quite strong. CTS and the University of Minnesota successfully joined a regional University Transportation Center led by the University of Michigan, which will begin work in FY24. Also beginning next year will be the Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity Program, funded by the Federal Transit Administration.

In addition, CTS and our partners were identified in several Minnesota legislative initiatives that will support important new projects. Further, it is expected that researchers will continue to respond to other funding opportunities from federal sources such as the National Science Foundation, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, and federal agencies. CTS will continue to assist researchers in pursuing new funds at the local, state, and national level, with a heightened focus on IIJA funding.

Both proposals “pursued” and “secured” beat their targets this year by significant margins. Of the 40 proposals pursued, 6 interdisciplinary teams formed in response to the University Transportation Center competition, including 2 coordinated by CTS. Four other interdisciplinary teams joined together to respond to other funding opportunities. In addition to these strong numbers, proposals in FY23 included departments that are not regularly involved in transportation research, including mathematics, physics, and organizational leadership, policy, and development.

FY23 saw the highest number of active research projects since FY20, the first year after the Roadway Safety Institute ended. In addition to an increase in research projects across the board, the number of “other research” projects has increased from 26 in FY22 to 32 in FY23. This number demonstrates that University researchers are finding outside sources of funding on top of the opportunities facilitated by CTS.